Reid Ruins Eagles' Housewarming

CHARLES BRICKER ON THE NFL

September 10, 2003|CHARLES BRICKER ON THE NFL

PHILADELPHIA — The game plan, dinking and dunking against the fastest set of linebackers, was not intelligent, and neither was that perplexing challenge by coach Andy Reid with less than six minutes played Monday night.

But the Philadelphia Eagles did a great job of executing. Executing themselves.

We understand that the champion Buccaneers are usually on a fast track to the quarterback. Defensive end Simeon Rice, in fact, should have been the most valuable player in the Super Bowl.

But that doesn't prevent Reid from ordering more protection, using play-action faking and going deep.

Yet not until there were nine seconds left in the half and Philly trailing 3-0 did quarterback Donovan McNabb, who seemed in a trance much of the evening game, take a crack more than 15 yards downfield.

When you have a QB who can run like McNabb, you want the secondary stretched out. Strangely, Reid came out with a conservative game plan, as if he didn't trust his wideouts, Todd Pinkston and James Thrash, or wanted to just stay close and win in the last period.

Of all nights the Eagles picked to emulate the old Tony Dungy Buccaneers, this was the worst. New stadium, Lincoln Financial Field. Fireworks. Sylvester Stallone/Rocky back home in Philly. Hoopla. Everyone in an aggressive mood. And Reid making some astonishing calls, and McNabb moving as if he'd had too many bowls of soup.

Third play of the game: McNabb doesn't see Ronde Barber coming on a corner blitz. Sacked.

Second Philly series: Reid challenges a call in which tackle Jon Runyon is hit with a penalty for illegally catching a pass. Reid wins; it's ruled a fumble. He gets only a yard out of it and wastes a challenge.

Of McNabb's first seven passes, six went to tight ends or running backs. With the help of a pass-interference call on John Lynch, the Eagles had first-and goal at the 1, so Reid called a pass for rookie tight end L.J. Smith (incomplete), a run up the middle by Duce Staley (stuffed by Booger McFarland), a pass for fullback Jon Ritchie (incomplete) and, on fourth down, a fake field goal and pass from quarter-back/holder Koy Detmer to Smith (dropped).

Isn't McNabb at 240 pounds supposed to be a red-zone running weapon?

Predictably, Reid came out of his offensive shell when he was down 17-0. Wideout Fred Mitchell caught his only pass (15 yards) and, on the final series of the game, Thrash caught two for 22 yards, about half his 46-yard haul.

Fans aren't bashful about booing here, but one expected more decorum on the night they opened The Linc. The Eagles didn't get it -- from the fans or the Bucs. Andy Reid gets the blame for this fiasco.

The new nest

Loved the headlines in the Philadelphia Daily News the day after the Eagles bombed in their new $500 million-plus stadium: Flop House. And Doom With a View. Also Too Bad They Had to Ruin It with a Game.

This loss resonated right through the scouting department, which had fingered cornerback Lito Sheppard of Florida for a first-round pick in 2002, tight end L.J. Smith of Rutgers in the second round this year and receiver Mitchell of UCLA as a first-round pick in 2001. It's still too early on Butterfingers Smith, but Sheppard and Mitchell are busts.

Sheppard is in his third year and he's just not there -- as punt returner or defensive back. He looked silly in the third quarter as Joe Jurevicius, 7 inches taller at 6-5, reached over Sheppard in the corner of the end zone for the first TD.

Note on Rice: It isn't often a player is handed a sack by the opposing coach. On Reid's head-scratching challenge, McNabb's "forward pass" was ruled a fumble and Rice, who hit his arm as he cocked the ball, was given a sack. Rice has 16 sacks in 15 games against the Eagles as an employee of Tampa Bay and Arizona. ...

You think four exhibition games is too many? It's obviously not enough for the Super Bowl runner-up Raiders, who were flagged for seven false starts in their opening loss to the Titans. Tackle Barry Sims was called for three on the Raiders' first series. And this is a veteran line, virtually intact from 2002. Overall, the Raiders had 17 penalties for 173 yards.